To Dale:
I was the director of a private Junior High and High School in Mexico and
found it very difficult to change the extreme position towards academics -
not only on the part of the parents, but also their kids. The unwritten
philosophy there was education = academics. My experience with other
Hispanics seem to go along the same lines; but I think if you would talk to
mainstream America you would find a similar response. I don't think there
are many people brave enough to let their kid spend three years fishing at
his or her school. We've all been taught that a good academic education is
the ticket to a successful and happy life. Many of us know that that's not
the ticket, and yet we still need support in trying something very different
from what we ourselves experienced.
I guess what I'm saying is -- maybe you should try it and then tell the rest
of us what you discovered.